Chapter 18
Quite soon the party passed that first little guard room near the big stone door. Rusty Bones glanced into it, her emotions conflicted between nostalgia and relief. She missed the happy, optimistic group of ponies who had spent their first night there, full of excitement and curiosity about what they might find. Yet at the same time she was glad it was almost over. Mere hoofsteps away and they would be out of the ruin and, hopefully, beyond the reach of whatever monster lay in its depths.
"The door's still open," Gustaf commented between deep struggling breaths. He had the unconscious Curio Trinket slung across one shoulder and was using his good wing to help hold the Professor in place.
Ember Clover asked: "How can you tell?"
"It's getting chilly," came the reply. "If the door was closed, the temperature would be about the same. Can't you smell the fresh air?"
They all lifted their noses and sniffed, Rusty included. The scent of new air, of snow and frost made her heart beat faster for joy.
Mere hoofsteps.
Soon there was a faint, blue-tinted light up ahead and the three ponies and a griffin stared gratefully at it. They had all gotten tired of the over-bright, artificial lanterns or the yellow, flickering torches. The opening came into view and to Rusty's relief it looked like it was still bright outside. She wanted to put as many miles as possible between them and the ruin.
Winter Shine stumbled as she looked behind. "Is- is it coming after us? No, no, we're so close. Please!"
Rusty herself slowed and turned, but there was nothing to be seen in the dark tunnel behind them. Then again, their light didn't penetrate very far and anything at all could be hiding just out of sight. Perhaps the passage was filled with those walking bones. Maybe they were watching right at that moment, trotting to catch these unlucky intruders. Her imagination tried to paint the darkness with staring, eyeless faces and a shiver ran down Rusty's spine.
"No. Nothing's coming after us," she told Winter in a steadier voice than she herself had expected. "We're home free."
The mare wouldn't hear it and stopped completely. Her hind legs sagged and she sat heavily with a clank of pots hanging from her bags. She put her hooves over her eyes and whimpered. "No, no more. No, please stop..."
Rusty's blood ran cold. Was the evil taking over Winter Shine? They had to get out of there! "Ember! Ember, come back!"
The stallion didn't ask questions, he pushed Gustaf onward with a hoof and trotted back. "What is it? What's wrong with Winter?"
"I think it's trying to control her. Quick, we need to carry her! If she starts to turn we may have to-"
She left it unsaid, but Ember Clover gave her a solemn nod. He understood.
"Winter? Here, sweetheart, look at me. Open your eyes."
As far as Rusty knew, their eyes turning black was a sign of being taken over. She pried Winter's hooves away and held her muzzle still until the mare looked. Her eyes were still normal, but she couldn't be absolutely certain in the poor light.
"Stay with me, Winter. Come on, get on Ember."
The stallion easily took his classmate's weight, but they walked more slowly. Luckily Gustaf, despite whatever Ember had told him, had slowed down and was waiting for them at the door. "Everything okay?" he asked.
"What are you doing?"
Curio Trinket was lying just outside and Gustaf was fiddling with the lever which would close the door. He turned and Rusty saw he held a piece of string. "I don't know how to close it from outside, so I thought I could use this."
It was a brilliant thought and Rusty smiled. She had completely forgotten about the stone button in the floor. "Good thinking. Let's go!"
Perhaps it was just her imagination, but Rusty felt as if she had passed some invisible, nearly intangible barrier. A chill passed down her spine as she walked out between the large, stone doors.
Ember waited by Curio and she joined him as Gustaf followed with his string. It was just long enough to reach and as soon as he was at its limit, Gustaf gave it a strong yank. There was that familiar grinding noise and the stone portal began to slide shut. Rather amazing that the mechanism still worked after all these years, Rusty thought to herself incredulously. Perhaps it was at least partly magical she thought, not for the first time.
Gustaf was still struggling with the rope and Rusty watched him with curiosity. "What are you doing? It's closing, it's fine!"
He walked to one side and pulled on the rope again. Perhaps he wanted to get it back? Rusty was about to offer help when there came a crack from inside the ruin. Gustaf pulled the rest of the string back along with a piece of the tent pole still attached at the end. "Good. Clean break. I wasn't going to leave a lever in there on the off chance something really is following us."
Rusty threw her hooves around the startled bird. "You're brilliant, Gustaf," she told him.
They moved back with the others to wait until the door was safely shut. The group watched in silence as the two giant, rune-carved slabs swung inward. Just before they met in the middle Rusty thought she saw a gleam of white in the dark tunnel beyond. It sent a shudder of fear through her, but a moment later there was a dull thud and the grinding noise stopped with a sense of finality. If the dead ponies were real, she hoped they didn't know how to open the door. Taking the lever out with them had really been a stroke of genius.
"Well... I guess that's it. Winter, how do you feel?"
She walked over to Ember Clover, but the mare was still trying to hide her face in her hooves. Once again Rusty pried them away and Winter blinked open her tear-filled eyes.
They weren't black.
"Are you okay?"
Winter Shine sniffed, then gave a small nod. "It's g-gone. It's gone. Miss Bones? Please let's go. I want to go home!"
It was encouraging and Rusty turned to Ember Clover. "Can you take her up out of the cave, then we'll see if she can walk on her own. If not, I'll carry her."
"What about the Professor?"
Gustaf was already gathering the stallion up, but paused when he heard the name.
"Gustaf, you okay until the surface?" Rusty asked him. "We'll make a sled or something once we're up."
"I'll manage," the griffin said.
"Good. Give me your pack and let's go."
It was a sorry and bedraggled group of ponies who dragged themselves back up the stone-carved stairs. They were exhausted and frightened, but also hopeful and triumphant. They had beaten something. What had attacked them in that deep place, in the dark temple dedicated to death, nopony could guess. The important part was that despite all its efforts, the visions and horrors and attacks it sent their way, they had escaped. Soon, they would get help for the Professor. Soon, they would be safe. All they had to do was brave the Frozen North until they reached civilization again.
There weren't many hours of daylight left, but the party made good time. Once they were able to put Curio on a makeshift sled made out of a tent, the going got a lot easier. Ember Clover flew up to scout the way ahead and reported their path clear. Perhaps she was cutting it rather close, But Rusty led them on a brisk march until the sun touched the western mountains. That gave them less than thirty minutes to build a tent, but they only needed one. Not one of them was comfortable with the idea of sleeping alone. It was a bit of a squeeze, but by laying all their cots together they were able to make themselves pretty comfortable.
Winter Shine, barely holding herself together, went in the middle. She had walked once they were out in the sunshine, but she was ready to fall to pieces and Rusty had had to constantly encourage her and remind her that they had escaped. The mare had kept stopping to look backward, ever afraid that something would follow them. For that matter, Rusty herself had glanced back more than once, expecting to see a gleam of bone, or a patch of darkness.
Beside the young mare was Ember Clover and Gustaf was nestled down next to the stallion. Rusty Bones herself took Winter's other side. And they had laid Curio Trinket next to her. He was firmly tied and gagged, even unconscious. This close, none of them were willing to take any chances. Cuddled like that, and with several blankets piled on top of them, they hardly felt the night's chill. More importantly, they weren't alone. The sound of other, living beings near her calmed Rusty and relaxed her enough so she could sleep. She was just about to drift off when Winter inched closer, ducked her head under the blanket and pressed her nose right into Rusty's chest fluff. She let out a huge, relieved sigh and Rusty laid a careful leg around the poor mare. Her ear flicked once when she caught a quiet whisper between Ember and Gustaf, but she paid it no mind.
This time, when she fell asleep, there was no sound of dripping blood.
Early morning brought with it shivering cold and winds which threatened to tear the tent down. When Rusty Bones roused and lifted her head, she saw that Gustaf was also awake, but apparently quite comfortable with Ember Clover sprawled partially across him. Winter Shine was still pressed firmly against Rusty's own chest. She looked around at the Professor, but he was either still unconscious or asleep. Rusty nudged him with a hoof, hoping to wake him up and give him a bit of food and water, but no matter how she shook him Curio didn't move.
"We have to take him to the town, quick."
"Yes. That last blast of magic was pretty bad. I'm no unicorn expert, but it looked painful," the griffin confirmed her thinking.
There was no point in lying around, not when it was light enough to see.
"Looks like a blizzard."
Gustaf placed a claw on Ember Clover's head and idly scratched an ear as he looked around at the shaking and bulging tent. "Even more reason to hurry," he agreed. He bent down to put his beak right near Ember's ear and murmured something which made the stallion smile in his sleep.
For her own part, Rusty pried Winter Shine away and exposed her face to the light of dawn. The mare squinted and tried to curl back, but Rusty was firm. "Hey. Time to get up. We're going home today, Winter."
That worked and the mare opened her eyes. She seemed confused to find Rusty in her bed, then memory flooded back and her breathing quickened. "Is- is it true?" she asked in a small voice. "Did we really get out or did I just dream it? I had the weirdest dream..."
"Look around. What dream?"
Winter sat up and glanced at the tent, then her shoulders sagged. She put her face in her hooves and concentrated on her breathing. It looked like she was very near bursting into tears again, but whether it was delayed shock or relief Rusty couldn't tell.
"What was your dream?"
Winter Shone thought for a moment, then shrugged. "I dunno. It's gone now." She didn't seem too worked up, so Rusty thought it wasn't a nightmare. That was good news. Nightmares wouldn't be out of place after their ordeal.
"I'll quickly boil some water and we'll drink a bit of oatmeal." Gustaf cleared his throat at that and Rusty corrected herself. "The ponies, I mean. You got your own food."
He gave a nod and took a strip of dried meat from his pack. "I'll start packing up while you eat," he announced.
Winter Shine was still in the same position as before, so Rusty decided to give her something to do.
"Winter?" she asked and waited until the mare looked. "Can you get the Professor on the sled? I'm worried about him. What do you know about, uh, magical injuries?"
The mare shrugged. "I guess- if he tried to channel with that chain, um, I mean hard enough to melt silver. I don't know. He might never wake up. We need to get him to a doctor."
"That's exactly what we'll do. Can you bundle him up on the sled. Make sure he's warm. Try trickling some water down his throat- here, take my flask. Just be careful he doesn't choke. I'll get started on our oatmeal."
"What do you want me to do?" Ember Clover asked helpfully as he stretched. The fact that his contortions resulted in pushing his rump in Gustaf's face didn't seem to worry either of them.
"You fly up, but only if it's safe. We need to know whether the storm is coming from the South or not. We may be able to reach town before it."
Ember saluted with a wing, then fumbled with the tent zipper to let himself out. Chilly air filled the interior in an instant. Rusty followed outside and inspected the sky. There was still some blue visible, but a white haze seemed to be blowing in from all directions.
"Be careful!" she shouted at Ember.
He gave her a nod and jumped into the air. His wings worked furiously and he was tossed this way and that before he gained enough control to rise. Rusty very nearly shouted for him to get back down, but he wouldn't have heard her above the wind. She kept eyes on him for a few more seconds, then reached inside the tent for her pack. Her stove cartridge was nearly empty, but that was okay. Ember had a few more, as did Gustaf, if they needed them. Besides, it meant she could leave it behind and save herself a bit of weight.
The stove was quickly set up, but she had to weigh it down with her saddlebags to keep the wind from overturning it. She filled the pot with clean snow and waited for it to boil. Behind her, Gustaf was taking the tent down while Winter Shine was working on moving the Professor to their makeshift sled. At one point the stallion slipped from her grasp and tumbled down on the snow. Rather than pick him up, Winter just doubled over and began to sob. Rusty hurried over.
"Hey, what's wrong?"
Even as she asked, she lifted the unconscious pony so he was lying on their hoof-made sled. She made sure he was wrapped in a couple of sleeping bags which she tucked under him to keep them from being blown off. Only then could she focus on Winter. The mare was once again sitting on her haunches with her face hidden in her forelegs. Her shoulders were shaking, but Rusty couldn't hear any sound above the wind.
She went and put a hoof around the poor unicorn's shoulders. "There. Just a little longer, okay? What's wrong?"
All Winter could do was shake her head.
Some kind of shock, or early PTSD, Rusty decided. Nothing she could help, not while they were out in a storm. "Can you walk? We'll tie ourselves together so we don't get lost, okay? You just have to follow in my hoofsteps and Ember will go with you."
Winter managed a wordless nod, but her face was still hidden.
Rusty grasped the mare, pushed her forelegs away and pressed her muzzle against her own neck. She stroked Winter's mane for a bit as the distraught mare sniffed into her fur. "Just a bit longer. We're going downhill and we'll hurry. We're carrying a lot less than on the way in, so we'll be able to move fast. We'll be in the town before night, okay?"
She felt the nod.
"Come, want to help me make oatmeal? You can put as much sugar in it as you like."
That worked and Winter Shine allowed herself to be led to the stove. Despite the wind the little burner radiated welcome heat and both mares held their hooves out to warm them. The snow had already melted and it looked like it would boil soon, so Rusty rummaged until she found an open packet of oatmeal and a new bag of sugar. The first she poured in herself, but the second she gave Winter. Of course the unicorn would make the food too sweet, at least for Rusty's taste, but on the other hoof they could use the energy boost. She realized she had really meant her plan to be in town by nightfall. A quick glance at her watch showed it was just after seven, which gave them more than ten hours of usable light.
Ember Clover landed beside them, his fur looking decidedly more white with the water it had absorbed. He almost gleamed, even in the dim light. "It's almost on top of us," he yelled above the noise of the wind. "We have to go, like now!"
There was no real time to finish boiling the oatmeal, it would have to do. Rusty gave it a few more stirs, then poured it in the little metal bowls. "Here! Drink it as quick as you can. Put the bowl in your pack. If you're thirsty, chew some snow on the way. We can't afford to melt more right now!"
She was already packing the stove while the other two swallowed their meal. Then she quickly downed hers. She had made it with more water than usual, so it served as both a drink and a meal at the same time, and it was faster to eat. Then she shoved the equipment into her bag. There was no time to wash it, or wait for the burner to cool down. It would keep her warm for a bit. Rusty went to Curio's sled and tied herself into it. She tossed the other end of the rope to Winter.
"Tie it around your waist. That way I'll know if you stop and need something, okay?"
The mare looked afraid once more as she watched the mists of snow being blown about around them. Her ears were completely flat and her eyes were wide and frightful. Her hooves shook as she tried to wrap the rope around herself, before she remembered her magic and quickly tied a knot. Rusty looked around for Gustaf, but he was already at Ember's side, brushing some of the water out of his exposed fur. It was just a gesture; Rusty knew for a fact that the smooth down under their regular fur would keep a pegasus dry in anything but the worst downpour. They were as ready as they were going to be. A night's sleep had helped rejuvenate them and she felt confident they could reach the town before long. She just had to make sure of the direction, but luckily she had both a pegasus and a griffin with her.
"This way, right? By the way, you griffins have a compass in your beak, right?"
The bird chuckled at that. "That's pigeons!" he yelled back.
Ember Clover leaned his head to one side in confusion. "Miss Bone- uh, Rusty, don't you have a compass?"
She did, but it was no use and the mare shook her head. She spoke up at exactly the same time as Gustaf: "Won't work thi-"
"No use!"
They chuckled at each other and then Rusty continued. "Won't work this far North. Too much magical interference, especially during a storm. We'll have to do it the old-fashioned way, navigate by landmarks. As long as we can keep an eye on at least some of the mountain peaks..."
Ember gave her a nod and closed his eyes for a moment to focus on his memories. Then he blinked a few times and turned on the spot to look all around him. "It's this way, yes. We just have to go straight until we reach that cliff."
That was their best landmark. As Rusty remembered, it was between them and the town. If they found that cliff, all they had to do was continue straight from it. It was easier said than done, but she didn't have a lot of choice. Curio needed help sooner, rather than later, and she didn't know how much longer Winter would be able to keep it together. She had to take a risk and rely on Ember and Gustaf's navigation. For as long as at least a part of the horizon was visible, she could trust the two to guide them straight. Since it was her turn at the sled, she set the pace. She picked a light canter, something she knew she could keep up for many hours, even with the unwieldy burden tied to her. The others fell in step behind her, clustered around Curio and Winter Shine.